ClassMate Reader - Quick Start Guide

Overview

The ClassMate Reader is a portable tool designed to help people improve reading comprehension, increase reading speed and develop strong vocabulary. You can listen to audio versions of your textbooks and reading materials, while following the highlighted text on screen. The ClassMate Reader has several features such as text-to-speech, highlighting, dictionary, text and vocal notes and audio book navigation.

To Use

Physical Description:

Face of the Player
Left Edge of the Player

Right Edge of the Player

Top Edge of the Player

Turn On, Open and Play Book:

  1. Press and hold the power button
  2. Press home button
  3. Select Open icon
  4. Select a book to open from the file structure on the SD card. To navigate the folders, tap the screen using the stylus or use the navigation buttons (right = open folder; left = close folder; up and down to navigate up and down; enter = select)
  5. To begin reading, press the play button or tap the play icon on the bottom of the screen.

File Types Supported:

The file structure on the SD card is automatically formatted. The ClassMate reader can support many types of files. The following is a list the file names automatically setup on the SD card with a description of the file types found in each folder. If you add files the SD card, save them in the following folders according to file type.

  • Audio Books: Single file books from audible.com. Each book may have sections.
  • Digital Talking Books: Playing DAISY books with the ability to navigate, for example moving within pages and chapters. Bookshare.org w/ unpack feature; RFB&D can be used, but need a User Authorization Key (firmware upgrade to Classmate $20). DAISY 2.x, DAISY 3.0 (NISO Z39.86), NIMAS
  • Music files: Music files played by the ClassMate include mp3, Ogg Vorbis, wav and wma.
  • Other Books: Other books are files such as MP3 or Wav books created with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Mass market MP3 audio books or podcasts from the internet (Non-DAISY or non-NISO).
  • Podcasts: Single file audio broadcasts (any supported audio file type). Podcast files do not contain sections.
  • Text files:Material that has been saved in html, rtf, txt and xml formats.

How to Transfer New Files onto the ClassMate Reader:

The ClassMate reader stores files on an SD card. Files can be added to the SD card from your PC using the following steps:

  1. Turn off the ClassMate Reader
  2. Connect the ClassMate Reader’s SD card to your PC using one of the following methods:
  3. Take the SD card out of the ClassMate Reader and put it in your PC’s SD card reader.
  4. Connect the ClassMate Reader (with SD card installed) to the PC using the mini USB cable. Once connected, power on the ClassMate Reader.
  5. Open Explorer (or My Computer). Windows will recognize the ClassMate SD card as a USB drive. Double-click on the drive to open and you will see the same file structure as you see on your ClassMate Reader (described above).
  6. Select the files you want to put on your ClassMate reader and cut and paste them into the appropriate folder on the SD drive. See the file descriptions above for the correct location to save new material.
  7. Be sure to Safely Remove Hardware function on the Windows System Tray before removing the SD or disconnecting the ClassMate. This will ensure that the data contained on the SD card is not corrupted.

Settings:

Settings can be accessed multiple ways. All of settings can be controlled by pressing the Home button and clicking the Visual and Audio Settings icons. Some settings can also be controlled by pushing buttons on the reader or by icons present on the screen while reading. The major settings and the various methods to control them are described below.

Speed

Speed of the audio playback can be modified using the following methods:

  1. Press the volume/speed button. A message in the lower right hand corner of the touchscreen will say if the toggle is on speed or volume. Toggle until it reads “Speed # of 14”. Then press the up and down buttons to increase or decrease the speed.
  2. Use the stylus to click on the icon of the runner located in the upper left hand corner of the touchscreen. The speed menu will display and you can use the stylus to increase or decrease the speed.
  3. Press the home button. Click on Audio Settings. Then click on Volume/Speed. The speed menu is located under the icon of the runner. Use the stylus to increase or decrease the speed. Press OK and then click on the red X in the upper right hand corner to close out of menus until you return to your book.
Volume

The volume of the audio playback can be modified using the following methods:

  1. Press the volume/speed button. A message in the lower right hand corner of the touchscreen will say if the toggle is on speed or volume. Toggle until it reads “Volume # of 10”. Then press the up and down buttons to increase or decrease the volume.
  2. Use the stylus to click on the volume icon located in the upper left hand corner of the touchscreen. The volume menu will display and you can use the stylus to increase or decrease the volume.
  3. Press the home button. Click on Audio Settings. Then click on Volume/Speed. Notice there are two volume settings: one for the speaker and one for headphones. Use the stylus to increase or decrease the volume. Press OK and then click on the red Xin the upper right hand corner to close out of menus until you return to your book.
Visual Settings

Press Home and select the Visual Settings icon (eye). From there, you will be able to modify the following settings.

Assistive Technology Resource CenterMarlena Lanini

Colorado State UniversityJanuary 2011

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  • Font Size/Style
  • Color Text/Background
  • Contrast
  • Spacing Word/Line
  • Vertical Cursor Placement

Assistive Technology Resource CenterMarlena Lanini

Colorado State UniversityJanuary 2011

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Audio Settings

Press Home and select the Audio Settings icon (speaker). From there, you will be able to modify the following settings.

  1. Playback type selection: Depending on books, there are two types of playback available. You can listen to the recorded voice or the computer voice (text to speech feature).
  1. Audio Interface: Select if you want to hear the menus on the player or to have them silenced.

Note Taking Tools:

Press the tools button, which is not on the screen to open the study tools menu (shown below).

Highlighting

Book passages can be highlighted for review at a later date. Text passages can be highlighted using two methods:

Method 1: In text mode only

  1. Pause the reading by pressing play button.
  2. Place the cursor at the beginning of the section you wish to highlight using the 4-way navigation buttons.
  3. Press the study tools button. Select the highlighting icon. The screen will return to displaying text.
  4. Use the 4-way navigation buttons to move the cursor to the end of the text you want to highlight. Press the enter button when finished and a highlighting bookmark will be created.
  5. Press the play button to resume reading.

Method 2: In daisy or text mode

  1. Pause the reading by pressing play button.
  2. Drag the stylus over the text passage you want to highlight.
  3. Use the stylus to select the word highlight at the top of the screen. The reader will create a highlighting bookmark.
  4. Press the play button to resume reading.
Highlighting Settings

Highlighting settings allow you to change the color of highlighting, use symbols to mark passages, or use underline or bold to mark passages. To access the highlight settings menu, press study tools button and select the highlighting settings desired.

Text Note

You may enter Text notes for all types of formats. You can write up to 128 characters for each text note.

To enter a Text note:

  1. Press Play to pause reading.
  2. Use the Navigation arrows (in Text navigation mode only) or your Stylus to find the location where you want to insert your text note. Place the cursor at the location where you would like to insert the text note.
  3. Press the Study tools button and select Text Note from the available icons.
  4. A dialog window will appear. Use the graphical keyboard to enter a text note in the Edit box.
  5. Press OK when you are finished with the text. A pencil icon will appear in the text showing the location of the text note.

To play back a text note, pause reading and then use the stylus to place the cursor in front of the Text note icon and press the Enterbutton.

Voice Note

When using files of any format, it is possible to record Voice notes.

Press Play to pause reading.

  1. Move cursor to the place in book where you want to add a voice note.
  2. Press and hold the Record button.
  3. Wait until a red screen appears and says “recording”. Speak into the microphone.
  4. When finished with the note, release the Record button. A microphone iconappears in the text at the location where the voice note was recorded.

To play back a voice note, pause reading and then use the stylus to place the cursor in front of the Text note icon and press the Enterbutton.

Bookmark

If you wish to return to a place in a book at a later moment, you can add a bookmark. You may insert Bookmarks in all types of file formats.

To enter a bookmark:

  1. Press Play to pause reading.
  2. Use the Navigation arrows (in Text navigation mode only) or the stylus to find the place in the book where you want to insert a bookmark.
  3. Press the Study tools button
  4. Select the Bookmark option. The player will return to the text. A bookmark icon will appear at the cursor's position in the text.
Navigate Markings

Use the menu to search for highlighting, bookmarks, or voice and text notes added to the text.

  1. Press the Study tools button and select the Navigate Markings icon.
  2. Select the type of marking you wish to find. The screen will return to the text and display the first marking you selected. Use the blue left and right arrows at the top of the screen to navigate among the markings.
Dictionary

Press the dictionarybutton to access the built in dictionary. Use the stylus and onscreen keyboard to look up words. Or place the cursor near a word you want to look up in the text and press the dictionary button to look up that word.

Location of Full User Guide

  1. Press and hold the power button
  2. Press home button
  3. Select Open icon
  4. Open the folder labeled ClassMate.
  5. Open the Digital Talking Books folder.
  6. Select the User Guide to open.

Program Manufacturer Contact Info

Manufacturer: Humanware

Cost: $499

Contact Information:

1-800-722-3393

Assistive Technology Resource CenterMarlena Lanini

Colorado State UniversityJanuary 2011

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